Stephen Fry in America Sees US DVD & Blu-Ray Release

American fans of Stephen Fry's brilliant documentary Stephen Fry in America will be pleased to know that they will finally be able to buy the program on DVD and Blu-Ray!  On July 27, 2010 the title will be officially available in stores.  The list price for the DVD is $29.98.  The Blu-Ray list price is $39.98.  Stephen Fry in American can currently be pre-ordered through amazon.com for a $2.99 discount.  The discount is in effect on both versions of the documentary.

Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States.  Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through).  You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.

Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link:  Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link:  Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]

Stephen Fry in America Sees US DVD & Blu-Ray Release

American fans of Stephen Fry's brilliant documentary Stephen Fry in America will be pleased to know that they will finally be able to buy the program on DVD and Blu-Ray!  On July 27, 2010 the title will be officially available in stores.  The list price for the DVD is $29.98.  The Blu-Ray list price is $39.98.  Stephen Fry in American can currently be pre-ordered through amazon.com for a $2.99 discount.  The discount is in effect on both versions of the documentary.

Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States.  Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through).  You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.

Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link:  Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link:  Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]

New Batfish Species Discovered

Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  No?  I didn't either.  Until now.

Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill. 

The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom.  Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling.  The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen. 

Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward.  Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.

John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area.  If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."

Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus.  A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill.  Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.

To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.

New Batfish Species Discovered

Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  No?  I didn't either.  Until now.

Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill. 

The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom.  Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling.  The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen. 

Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward.  Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.

John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area.  If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."

Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus.  A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill.  Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.

To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Scientists Find Surprises in Deep Atlantic Ocean

I love articles like this and I love them even more when there are loads of great pictures.  This one certainly doesn't disappoint.

Scientists from 17 nations recently embarked on a six-week expedition aboard the British research vessel the James Cook to explore a never-before-seen area of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.  Some expected to see nothing.  All were amazed that they were able to bring back photographs of an area that is teeming with life.

The scientists focused on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  It is a massive undersea mountain range that splits the ocean in half, dividing the east Atlantic from the west Atlantic.  The seascape is apparently similar to the American West featuring rocky outcroppings, sheer cliffs and flat open plains.  The critters that live there, however, are nothing like the rattlesnakes, jackrabbits and prairie dogs that inhabit the American West.

There were at least 10 creatures discovered during the expedition that possibly could represent new species.



In dives that lasted as long as 30 hours and went to depths of up to 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) the Isis, a remotely operated vehicle outfitted with 10 high-definition studio-quality cameras and powerful lamps was sent to the ocean floor and took hours of footage of the amazing creatures that live at the bottom of the Atlantic.

They found three new species of enteropneust (a deep sea worm).  The tiny eyeless worms are about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and were previously found only in the Pacific Ocean.  A pink enteropneust was spotted first.  The scientists were thrilled to be able to actually see one of the creatures actually swimming.

Daniel Jones of Britain's National Oceanography Centre said the rocky regions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge were the most surprising.  There, they found new varieties of sea cucumbers, corals several meters tall that could possibly be a thousand years old and sea lilies.

For more information and to see some of the amazing creatures living in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, check out this article.  There are 10 photographs to be seen.  Click the word "next" and you will be taken to another photo.